“The quality called beauty objectively and universally exists” (Wolf, N, 1991) This is shown through many illustrations today, the first illustration figure 1 was produced in 2013 by tumblr user (roaring-softly) named Tyler Feder. She's an illustrator who produces a lot of feminist and positive attitude artwork. This particular illustration is in reference to Hairspray and reinforcing one of the main themes within it (body positivity). I found this illustration whilst scrolling through my tumblr, it's produced as a digital format but also as a print on her etsy shop.
It was produced, like many of her illustrations, for her tumblr followers who share the same values as her and find her art pleasing as it reflects those morals.It is digitally created through Photoshop but taken from her sketchbook first. It's produced in this way so she can apply it to cushions, prints, phone cases etc like much of her other work is, it's more convenience illustration than anything else. It conveys a message to her followers and that's it's main purpose. The illustration itself is of characters from the 2007 musical 'Hairspray', a film set in the 1960's that is a social comment on American injustices in the 1960's which include an integration problem in America, the main character Tracy Turnblad is a chubby teenager who's main goal through the film is to be accepted by her other skinnier and popular friends and prove to the world that being fat shouldn't hold you back, it also mentions the major racial integration problem in America but only just. The main concept for Hairspray is self confidence and as a lighthearted musical it doesn't tackle much of the massive problems of 1960s racial segregation ""White" prevails as clean, respectable, successful and morally upright" (Rogers FM, 1999)
The image is a very cute spot illustration of the two main characters from Hairspray together, both dressed in 1960's clothing and holding hands.
There are red hearts around them symbolising the love between them and also providing decoration for the words above them. The female character Tracy has her feet turned inward which shows lack of confidence where as the male character has regular feet facing toward her. The words above them are a quote from the film to help audiences connect with the illustration, with the bottom line capitalised to draw the attention to them. The quote "Tracy I'm in love with you NO MATTER WHAT YOU WEIGH" capture the social values at the time and of today. Susie Orbach said in her book "Fat is a social issue, Fat is a feminist issue" (Orbach S, 1998) The idea intended by the illustrator is that of body confidence and acceptance however the capitalisation of the lower line of the quote suggests differently and supports Susie Orbachs statement. The illustration says that the man is in love with her despite the fact she's fat which shows the need to mention it as a flaw "no matter what you weigh". It shows that she is not Infact liberated by her weight as he conditionalises his love for her which makes you question whether it's an equal relationship as someone shouldn't have to comment on the weight when mentioning love, this reflects the social values of the past as obesity wasn't much of a problem, it was rare to see obese people and those people that were overweight struggled to fit in with normality. Now it is a social value as more people are obese and developing negative mindsets over it “19% of overweight and 33% of obese people would risk death for even a modest 10% weight loss”. (Kolata, G. 2005). Being in a relationship with someone overweight you have to be accepting of their weight, Carol Rossetti's work in figure 2, suggests self love and liking yourself for you own body image.
Kolata, G. (2005). Longing
to lose, at a great cost. Available: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/04/health/04fatb.html?_r=1&.
Last accessed 3rd Mar 2015.
Orbach, S (1998). Fat
is a feminist issue. London
Wolf, N (1991). The
Beauty Myth. London
Rogers, F (1999). Barbie Culture. London. Random House. Pg 19
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